Caroline Smith Returning to the Meyer with New Album

Caroline Smith’s new record Half About Being a Woman is sassy and soulful. The album is a leap in a new direction for the Minnesota-based singer/songwriter.

If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you can do so when Smith returns to Green Bay’s Meyer Theatre on Saturday, November 16 at 8 p.m. as part of the Near Water Concert Series.
This summer, Smith sampled some of her new tracks at the Meyer when she opened for Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. Stripped down versions could also be heard at the Mile of Music festival in Appleton.

While Smith thrives on her live performance, nothing could have prepared me for what she unleashed on her new 9-track record. The songs merge R&B and neo-soul with her indie-rock roots. It’s a more mature effort in Smith’s growing process as a musician.

I had an opportunity to talk with Smith in early July about recording Half About Being a Woman.

At the time Smith proclaimed, “This new album is totally me just coming out of my shell and going back to the music I grew up listening to, which is the most exciting thing for me.”

After seeing Smith perform twice this past summer, I was anxious to hear the recorded tracks, which are about self-acceptance and growing into yourself. The songs are about going back to the roots of ‘feel-good’ music.

“Just content wise I feel like I’m older, I’m growing up with each record. This one I’m feeling a little bit more confident to actually use my voice and be a little bit more boisterous and sassy,” Smith told me during our interview.

While the new record in short in length, it’s powerful in structure. It wastes no space in the songwriting which is perfectly designed for Smith’s big voice.

“I have finally created something that is a nod to some of my favorite records while using my own voice to illustrate my personal transition into woman hood: that time in a woman’s life when her ‘fat butt’ becomes her ‘phat ass’. I wanted to make music to celebrate that and to encourage other women to do the same,” said Smith.

“Magazine” is one of those tracks, which is described on Smith’s website as a “celebration of the perfect body and every shape it comes in.”

Half About Being a Woman radiates confidence and is an exemplary showcase of Smith’s songwriting talents.

“I wanted to find my way back to the reason why I started playing music in the first place,” said Smith. “Over the last year, I began to embrace that being a strong, confident, opinionated woman is something to be proud of, not subdued. I have to embrace where my roots are and stay true to who I am: an unabashed fan of 90’s R&B, pop, and neo-soul.”

If you can’t wait until Smith’s show at the Meyer to listen to her new album, you can order a copy online by clicking here.

Also, Adelyn Rose and Colee James were just named this week as supporting acts for Smith’s Green Bay stop. Both are young, talented, and add incredible value to this show. This is one Near Water concert you won’t want to miss out on. Tickets are $15 for general admission and are available at all Ticket Star outlets, including the Resch Center box office, by phone (920-494-3401) and online. See you there!